


Admit One

by apaixono



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Movie Night, TRIS U HAD ONE JOB THO FFS, jm is a nerd, jsyk i am still annoyed at allegiant's ending so bye not editing that one out, lots of them LOL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 10:41:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12982311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apaixono/pseuds/apaixono
Summary: Kyungsoo loves going to the movies alone—that is, until Junmyeon makes him change his mind.





	Admit One

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Round 1 of Reflection in 2016.

****Some people crave company, others thrive in the presence of others, still some cower at the thought of being alone. Not Kyungsoo, though. Sure, he has a lot of good friends and he's sociable, but he also loves being alone. He highly values his me time, recognizes the body's need to recharge and grow on its own.

One of the ways that he spends his alone time is watching films. If there's one thing that Kyungsoo loves, it's going to the movies alone. Every Wednesday, he makes time to drop by the small, old-school movie theater near his apartment to catch a good movie. He loves everything about this routine of his—the good movie theater food, the cheap tickets, the friendly staff that knows him by name, the obscurity of the theater, and of course, the peace and quiet that he has all to himself. His friends find it quaint, but they support him all the same. Baekhyun often asks for his movie critiques before actually watching them, Jongdae always gives him free movie passes that he gets from raffles, and Jongin has adopted the habit himself and would go on Thursdays. They all have accepted it as one of Kyungsoo's many quirks, along with his nervous habit of playing with his fingers and his tendency to dress in dark colors. It's just part of who he is, what makes him Do Kyungsoo.

So it surprises him when one overcast Wednesday, he bumps into Junmyeon at the theater as he makes his way towards the snack bar. The latter is holding a large strawberry milkshake in one hand and his phone in the other, a bright yellow ticket tucked between his fingers.

"Junmyeon, hey," Kyungsoo blinks, surprised. Junmyeon never goes to this theater; he's almost always busy with his studies or his org, plus it's a bit far from his flat. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't have org work today, so I thought I'd drop by and watch Mockingjay," Junmyeon beams at him. "And you?"

"It's a Wednesday. I watch movies alone on Wednesdays, remember?" Kyungsoo replies. "Funny, I actually came to watch Mockingjay, too. Which screening did you get? I'm catching the six-fifteen one."

"Hey, same here! Why don't we watch together?" Junmyeon's grin widens as they make their way back towards the snack bar so Kyungsoo can get his food. "Jongdae was supposed to go with me, but he says he wants to finish the book first."

"Typical Jongdae," Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but it's more fond than chiding. "Well, why didn't you watch alone instead, then? It's quite fun, if you haven't noticed. Jongin and I do it every week."

"It's an acquired taste, I suppose," Junmyeon wrinkles his nose as the queue shuffles forward. "I like company. And noisy, nosy teenagers judge you for being a pathetic, friendless loner if you watch movies alone."

"You're still a teenager yourself, Junmyeon," Kyungsoo laughs. "No need to go all grandpa on them."

"Have you met kids these days? Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they gossip about you behind your back, too," Junmyeon frowns. "Good thing I'm here to protect you from them, right?" And to prove his point, he adopts a superhero stance, one fist on his hip and one raised up high. The problem is, the hand that he raised is also the one holding his drink, so he ends up looking like a small, silly attempt at imitating the Statue of Liberty.

"I don't mind. I like being alone," He shrugs, unimpressed with his friend's antics.

Junmyeon immediately wilts, unconsciously pouting as he puts his arm down. "Oh... I guess you don't want to watch the movie with me either," He says sadly. "I guess I'll just go..."

"Don't act cute, it doesn't suit you," Kyungsoo snorts as they approach the cash register. "Come on, seriously. I don't mind the company."

"I can't tell if you're being sincere or not, but I'll take it anyway. You can't take it back," Junmyeon sticks his tongue out at him as he reaches for his wallet. "I'll buy your food to make up for meddling with your alone time."

"Ah, don't be like that. It's fine," Kyungsoo waves him off as he rattles off his usual order to the cashier. Cheese nachos, extra cheese sauce, and a medium Sprite—same old, same old. He hands over a few notes before Junmyeon could bring out his card and pay for him. "You're not getting anything to eat?"

"I'm good," Junmyeon gestures to his drink, which upon closer inspection is actually a power smoothie from the vegan café a few doors down. It probably has granola or some superfood in it. "Ready?"

"Yup. Lead the way," He nods, and together, they make their way towards Cinema 4. The theater doesn't give seat numbers, so they're free to choose where they want to sit. Junmyeon leads them towards the middle rows, which was surprisingly empty, and they settle onto the plush black chairs as they wait for the advertisments to finish rolling.

It feels a bit weird not to be alone, but Junmyeon is surprisingly a good movie buddy. He doesn't hog the armrests, he reacts quietly when the scenes merit a vocal reaction, he keeps his admittedly funny side comments to a minimum, and he chews quietly (they end up sharing Kyungsoo's nachos). He does fall asleep at one point, much to Kyungsoo's amusement, but at least he didn't snore. All in all, it wasn't that different from his usual Wednesday routine.

After the movie, Junmyeon drags him to the all-day breakfast joint nearby and treats him to dinner. "As an apology, as well as a thank you," He grins cheekily as they settle on a booth. "I had fun."

"I told you, I don't mind," Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, skimming the menu in front of him. "I had fun, too. You're not that bad."

"I'm taking that as a compliment," Junmyeon hums, gesturing for a waiter. "Ready to order? I recommend the eggs benedict."

"I'll get that, then," He says. "So, did you like the movie? Aside from the fact that you fell asleep in the middle of the movie."

"Hey, I did not!" The other protests as a waiter approaches them. He pauses to give their orders—eggs benedict, tiramisu French toast with extra bacon, and two lemonades—before launching back into their conversation. "Okay, fine I did, but it was _so_ boring. Mockingjay pales in comparison to Catching Fire, man. I wanted a rebellion and they gave me deranged Peeta and Katniss' struggles with loving him or whatever. Like I care. Oh, he got tortured. Oh, you're sad. Boo hoo."

"You have a lot of feelings about this," Kyungsoo points out, amused at Junmyeon's ire. "Are you Team Gale or something?"

"I'm for the team that gets the job done," Junmyeon huffs. "I bought a ticket for a dystopian film, not a tragic romance. I should've watched the crappy Romeo and Juliet adaptation at eight instead."

"And yet, you watched it with me," Kyungsoo snorts. "If you hated the book so much, why did you watch it?"

"Closure, I suppose? I did watch the three other movies. That'll be weird, not watching the last one," The latter shrugs as the waiter comes back with their food and drinks. "It's not because I'm a fan. I like dystopia, but I didn't like the way this ended."

"You know what has a suckier ending?" Kyungsoo says around a mouthful of English muffins, "Allegiant."

"Oh my god, _yes_ ," Junmyeon groans, and he launches into another rant about Tris and her choices as they carry on with their meal. It's both funny and endearing, the way Junmyeon is so impassioned with his speech on why it's such a crappy ending, and Kyungsoo finds him chiming in his thoughts in between bites of his (really good) dinner. They're still discussing books and crappy endings on the drive back to Kyungsoo's apartment, after Junmyeon paid for both of their meals and Kyungsoo bought him a fruit cup that they ended up sharing (lthough Junmyeon stole all the kiwi while Kyungsoo was struggling with his seatbelt). Conversation flows out easily, and Kyungsoo is reminded of why he considers Junmyeon as one of his closest friends despite not always spending time with him—he's easy to talk to, amiable and funny at times, and he really invests in what the other is saying. Conversation also ends with little awkwardness, and Junmyeon steers their discussion to a close just as he slows down in front of Kyungsoo's apartment complex.

"Thanks again for letting me crash your Wednesday routine," He smiles. "Annoying plot aside, I really had fun."

"I did, too. Thanks for the dinner and the ride home," Kyungsoo finds himself smiling back as he unfastens his seatbelt. "Drive back safe, alright?"

"Yup. I'll text you when I'm home," Junmyeon says as he steps out of the car. Kyungsoo nods and waves him off, watching the sleek black car speed off into the night before going up to his apartment, the one that he shares with Baekhyun. The music major is still not home, he notes as he unlocks his front door and kicks off his shoes, but there's nothing new about it—Baekhyun always has night classes and rehearsals. Humming softly to himself, Kyungsoo pads to the kitchen and makes himself a cup of tea as he checks his emails. He takes slow sips from it as he moves to the futon, skimming the article he has to read for tomorrow about mental health issues in Western preschools. He finishes his tea and his reading and moves to the bathroom to wash up, switching his jeans and sweater for a pair of comfy, ratty sweats. He crawls into bed, scrolling through his social media feeds until he falls asleep. His usual Wednesday routine.

And despite the addition of Junmyeon's company, nothing felt out of place.

 

 

 

 

 

He finds himself excitedly bouncing to the theater the following Wednesday, a ticket for The Good Dinosaur tucked between his fingers as he makes his way towards the snack bar. He has been looking forward to this movie, and he barely managed to dodge a dinner meeting for one of his classes to make time for the last full show. It's been a harrowing week, really, and all he wants to do is to take some time off for himself and just unwind.

With an excited smile, Kyungsoo picks up his usual Sprite and cheese nachos—extra sauce, of course—and goes to Cinema 2. He takes a seat somewhere in the almost-empty middle rows and watches the movie alone, as per his routine. When the movie is over, he picks up a salad wrap and, because of some inexplainable craving for it, a fruit cup, and walks back home. He eats it in front of his laptop, sneaking bites in between typing up his half-finished history essay. Baekhyun steals a few bites of his dinner when he gets home, too tired to make his own, but makes up for it by refilling Kyungsoo's mug with freshly brewed Earl Grey. He works into the night, long after his friend has crashed in his bed and the clock has struck twelve, and when he finally finishes writing it—about three mugs of tea, a granola bar, about ten puppy videos on Facebook, and four pages later—he yawns and calls it a night.

As he drifts off into unconsciousness, Kyungsoo can't help but feel that there is something...off about this day, like something is missing. He couldn't quite pinpoint what it is, though, so he pays it no mind and goes to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Junmyeon, behind the preppy chaebol dream boy image he keeps up in school, is a huge nerd. A Star Wars nerd, to be exact.

"It's the Star Wars premiere today," He exclaims the moment he reaches Kyungsoo's lunch table the following week, bouncing in his toes like an overexcited toddler. Or Tigger. "Are you going? Are you going? Huh? Huh?"

"Slow down, champ," Kyungsoo says calmly, taking a bite of his burrito. "Yes, I know, and yes, I'm watching tonight after class."

"Can I come along?" Junmyeon asks excitedly, taking a seat beside him and shaking his arm. "No one's free today, but I cannot wait to see it. I need to see it now. Please? Pretty please? With a cherry on top?"

"How old are you, seven?" He snorts. "And if I say no?"

He's met with the most convincing set of puppy dog eyes ever, and he volunteered at a pet shop once. _Damn it_. Please?" Junmyeon says softly, and there's a childish, hopeful lilt to his voice that instantly crumbles Kyungsoo's resolve—not that he was planning to say no, because he's a soft-hearted guy. Sometimes.

"Fine," He sighs, rubbing his temples as Junmyeon lights up and resumes his excited bouncing. "But don't wear too much Star Wars merch, okay? I swear, I'll leave you outside the theater if you embarrass me."

"When did I ever embarrass you?" Junmyeon beams, clapping happily. "You're the best, Kyungsoo!"

"Yeah, yeah," Kyungsoo brushes him off, going back to his burrito and pushing his container of tortilla chips towards the latter. "Just meet me in the theater at quarter to six."

But perhaps Junmyeon is simply too excited to watch _the best thing in the entire planet_ to wait, because when Kyungsoo opens his front door later that evening, the latter is already beaming at him outside his apartment. "Hi," He chirps, "Ready to go?"

"I told you to meet me in the theater?" Kyungsoo raises a brow as he turns to lock up. "In, like, thirty minutes."

"Yeah, but I was excited. Sue me," Junmyeon shrugs as he all but drags Kyungsoo down the stairs and towards his car, his scarf billowing in the crisp wind. Upon closer inspection, it's actually a Darth Vader-printed scarf, the design subtle enough to pass off as a normal pattern. It matches the white Stormtrooper baseball cap perched on his head, but thankfully, Junmyeon decide to pair both with a simple white tee and a motorcycle jacket. At least he's not _that_ embarrassing.

"At least you're not decked out in full Star Wars paraphernalia," Kyungsoo says as they drive off to the theater. The theater is pretty close to his apartment, a short walk and even a shorter drive away. Kyungsoo still wonders why Junmyeon brings a car every time when it's such a hassle to lug around, but luckily, traffic tonight is pretty light. "I half-expected you to be wearing the entire line from Uniqlo."

"Ye of little faith," Junmyeon sticks out his tongue at him, eyes not leaving the road. "I was almost going to, actually, to piss you off and all. But I figured that half of the theater would be wearing them, so I opted to wear something stylish instead."

"As expected, from my fashion-savvy friend," He quips, earning him a light shove on the shoulder. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. You look great."

"I'm not buying your nachos, so no need to butter me up," Junmyeon replies as he parks the car on the sidewalk, but he still ends up buying both of their snacks while Kyungsoo buys their tickets. Kyungsoo finds him standing in front of one of the tables near the snack bar, struggling to open a small plastic bag. A large serving of nachos, packets of extra cheese sauce, and a Sprite rests near a bright yellow box reserved for kid's meals.

"What's that?" He asks as he takes a sip of his drink, watching as the latter finally tears the bag open. "Did you get a kid's meal?"

"Yeah. The kid's meals have Stormtrooper plushie keychains," Junmyeon beams as he holds up his freebie quite proudly, and Kyungsoo couldn't help but laugh at his friend's childishness. "I got chicken popcorn and fries, too."

"You're a _child_ ," Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, still chuckling. "You do realize that's more expensive, right? Like, half the serving size for twice the price."

"You're not the one paying for it, so I don't see why you're complaining about my finances," Junmyeon huffs, tucking his keychain inside his pocket. "You're just jealous of my Stormtrooper."

"Am not," He retorts, and they launch into a very childish argument about Stormtrooper keychains, set meal prices, and the practicality of eating chicken popcorn rather than actual popcorn. They end up picking through half of Junmyeon's fries, and so Junmyeon goes back to buy another serving before they go to the cinema—another kid's meal serving, which earns him a fresh round of nagging from Kyungsoo. They continue to bicker good-naturedly until they settled in their seats at Cinema 4—usual middle row seats, not surprisingly empty at this hour. They only stop when the lights dim, and along with the rest of the moviegoers, they cheer as the opening sequence flashes on the screen.

He loves his routine, but one thing that Kyungsoo sorely misses when he watches movies alone is having someone to talk to during the movie. Some jokes are only funny in the moment, some comments only hold up after a few scenes. But having Junmyeon with him means he has someone that laughs when he mutters something acerbic under his breath, who gasps along when a plot twist is revealed, who distracts him from a scene with an equally witty remark. For once, they let go of common theater etiquette and watch the movie noisily—not noisy enough to distract the other patrons, mind, but not as quiet as they usually are. For once, Kyungsoo lets himself fully geek out and enjoy the film, exchanging puns and mumbled comments with Junmyeon as they share the latter's chicken popcorn. After the movie, Junmyeon takes him out again to the breakfast joint from before, and they compare the film to the rest of the franchise over continental breakfast and hot cocoa, talking well into the night until they remember that it's a weekday and that Junmyeon still has a morning class tomorrow.

Tonight is nothing like his usual Wednesday, he thinks as they go home, Junmyeon insisting on driving him back again, but it's not so bad.

"Thanks again for letting me tag along," The latter grins as they slow to a stop in front of his apartment complex. "I know it's your thing to watch alone, and I'm sorry for intruding yet again, but I really enjoyed watching it with you. Even if you mock my choice in movie theater food."

"You're not so bad yourself, poor meal budgeting aside," Kyungsoo jokes, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Don't worry about it, I had fun, too. Thanks also for dinner and the ride home."

"No biggie. Have a great night," Junmyeon says as he exits the car, stepping into the chilly night. He rolls down the window and waves at him. "Have fun with your readings."

"Have fun with your 8AM class," Kyungsoo shoots back, but he grins and waves back just as enthusiastically. "Text me when you get home, yeah?"

Junmyeon flashes him a thumbs up before speeding off back to his own apartment, and Kyungsoo watches as his car disappears into a corner before making his way back up the flat. Baekhyun's still not home, as usual, so he makes his usual cup of tea and goes to tackle his readings, a small, silly smile playing on his lips all evening.

 

 

 

 

 

Without him noticing, Junmyeon has seamlessly inserted himself in his Wednesday routine.

Junmyeon used to still make a bunch of excuses—he's been looking forward to this movie, he wants to relax, his week isn't going well and he wants to feel better, and his most used one, that he really wants to watch this movie but no one wanted to go and _the teenagers will judge me, Kyungsoo, they'll think I'm a pathetic loner_. But eventually it becomes routinary as well for them to watch together—sometimes they meet in the theater when one of them is swamped with work, sometimes they go together, sometimes Junmyeon picks him up from his apartment. His new Wednesday routine goes like this: wait for Junmyeon's text on whether he'll pick him up or they'll just meet in the theater, buy movie tickets while Junmyeon buys the food, take a seat in the middle rows, watch the movie, and grab dinner afterwards. Junmyeon drives him home, and he makes himself a cup of tea and works on his homework while waiting for Junmyeon's text that he got home. Nothing much has changed, though—Kyungsoo still gets cheese nachos and Sprite, he still sits in the middle, and he still gets home to an empty apartment and a mug of tea. But unlike before, he now has Junmyeon—Junmyeon, who buys kid's meals for the admittedly cute toys, who sometimes falls asleep in the middle of the movie, who always takes him out for dinner afterwards, who never fails to bring him home.

This change in routine helped them grow even closer, going from being one of those low-maintenance friendships to being attached to the hip. Kyungsoo used to hate how he rarely got to spend time with Junmyeon, but now, most of his time is spent with the other boy. They're much more comfortable with each other now too, in levels that is different from any of Kyungsoo's other friends. They usually share food now, because Kyungsoo wants to try a lot of things and Junmyeon thinks routine is boring when it comes to food. Kyungsoo doesn't put up a fight anymore when Junmyeon drives him around, and Junmyeon has learned to send his texts in one go rather than in annoying, multple texts. Junmyeon easily gives his scarf to him whenever he forgets (which is often), and Kyungsoo always packs wet wipes in his satchel in case Junmyeon decides to eat flavored potato skins again and inevitably makes a mess. Their skinship comes easier now as well—Junmyeon often throws his arm around Kyungsoo's shoulders and he doesn't shrug him off anymore because Junmyeon is warm and Seoul is getting colder and colder. Junmyeon also snuggles close to him whenever they're watching a movie, because Cinema 1's heater is still broken after a year, his head pillowed on Kyungsoo's shoulder and fingers fumbling with his sweater's cuffs; Kyungsoo lets him because he's sure that the other will fall asleep eventually, and only retaliates with a flick on his nose when Junmyeon once complained that he chews too loudly.

They learned how to deviate from their Wednesday routine, too—Junmyeon has managed to coax Kyungsoo into joining him in jogging every Saturday at the university oval, and going on vegan breakfast runs afterwards. They also go on food crawls every Friday, choosing street food and hole-in-the-wall gems over partying with their other friends. Kyungsoo now spends a lot of time in Junmyeon's apartment, curled up in the bunny bean bag on the corner as they both work on their own stacks of homework, and Junmyeon often drops by to keep him company whenever Baekhyun is too preoccupied with the music department's upcoming production and the apartment is becoming too cold and lonely. He knows the passcode to both Junmyeon's phone and apartment, and Junmyeon once accomplished the amazing feat of navigating through his apartment (and all of Baekhyun's cluttered things) in the dark to fetch candles when the power went out. They text a lot more now, mostly mundane things like _my professor is wearing a Star Wars shirt today_ and _I can't decide whether my seatmate is staring at me or judging me_ (it was the latter, because Junmyeon had a coffee stain on the sleeve of his sweater) and _eat your dinner, it's late_. Junmyeon has also convinced him to make a Snapchat, much to the delight of his other friends—Jongdae immediately sends him an extremely ugly selca of him showing his triple chin the moment he adds him back—and one day Kyungsoo bursts out laughing in the middle of a lecture because he just watched Junmyeon's Snap Story that consisted of him putting filters on unsuspecting people in the subway.

Come to think of it, Junmyeon not only inserted himself in Kyungsoo's Wednesday routine—he also made himself a huge part of his everyday routine. It's jarring, how easily things changed just because of one person, even more so how he didn't see it coming. But, he thinks as he watches Junmyeon rave about the indie film that they just watched over sushi and how great it is (he didn't quite like it, but to each his own), change isn't so bad.

 

 

 

 

 

Kyungsoo just got out of class when his phone starts ringing. A glance on his screen affirms that it is Junmyeon, probably to tell him where to meet tonight, and he quickly accepts the call as he exits the lecture hall. "Hey, I just got out of class," He says, tucking his phone in between his ear and shoulder. "Excited?"

"Very," Junmyeon croaks, his voice muffled and raspy. "Are you okay with going to the last full show? I just need to sleep a bit then I'm—" Whatever he was going to say is cut off by a particularly violent coughing fit, the kind that is sure to make your throat raw afterwards.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Kyungsoo frowns, shifting the books in his arms. "Are you sick or something?"

"Or something," Junmyeon replies jokingly, the cheer in his voice mitigated by his stuffy nose. "I think I caught Jongin's flu. S'fine, though, I just really need a nap."

"You sound horrible. Maybe you should stay in tonight," He says concernedly. "I can watch the movie on my own, no problem."

"But the teenagers—" Junmyeon tries to say, but he dissolves into another coughing fit, groaning slightly.

"Junmyeon, I don't care about the teenagers," Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, frown deepening. "You're the only one who cares about them. I can manage myself just fine. You, however, are a wreck. You need rest."

"I just don't want people to think that you're a loner," The other mumbles, and he feels bad for making Junmyeon feel bad when he's sick and ridden with guilt for leaving Kyungsoo alone. "I'm sorry. Both for that and for missing tonight."

"Don't be sorry. I'm fine, I used to do this all the time, remember?" He assures him as he shoves his books inside his bag. "Just make it up to me by resting, okay? You have supplies there? Do you want me to come over instead? I'm fine with not going out tonight, really—"

"No, no. Go watch the movie, you deserve a break," Junmyeon says. "Have fun, alright? But not too much fun without me."

"That's impossible. It'll be loads of fun without you," Kyungsoo jokes, earning him an indignant "hey!" from the latter. "I'm kidding. Get some rest, I'll call you after the movie, okay?"

"I'll try not to sleep through it," Junmyeon chuckles nasally. "Enjoy your movie."

"Bye," Kyungsoo hums, and he ends the call as he steps out of his building and into the cold afternoon. Guess he has to walk to the theater today. He should've worn thicker clothes; spring is coming soon, but the last few vestiges of winter is still making Seoul colder than he would've liked. Sighing softly, he stuffs his hands inside his hoodie pockets and makes his way towards the theater, feeling unexplainably down as his sneakers crunch down on snow.

When he finally reaches the theater, face pink from the harsh cold winds, he buys himself a ticket to an indie film—one, he corrects himself as his fingers count enough bills for two—and heads to the snack bar. Glancing up at the menu, he contemplates buying a kid's meal and giving the toy to Junmyeon. That ought to cheer him up, wouldn't it? But he still thinks they're overpriced, so he goes ahead and buys his usual cheese nachos and Sprite. He fumbles with them as he makes his way towards Cinema 2—Junmyeon almost always brings his drink for him—but he manages to get to a middle row seat in one piece.

Kyungsoo couldn't really focus throughout the movie. It's an eccentric one, about a girl who is in love with her house or something like that. He's not sure either, because he feels disconcerted to be alone after weeks and weeks of having someone with him. The cinema feels too spacious, too empty, too cold. His food is bland, unappealing. The movie is just not piquing his interest, and he feels a little drowsy with the soft nature sounds in the background and the deep, steady cadence of the lead's voice. He wishes Junmyeon was here—he'd probably explain to him what was happening, or marvel at the amazing cinematography, or just fall asleep with him, lulled by the calming sound effects. He'd probably lend him his jacket, share with him his food, and make sure he's comfortable. But Junmyeon isn't here.

He was supposed to be used to this. He was used to being alone, watching alone, eating alone. So why is he thrown out of balance when Junmyeon, who used to intrude in his routine, was gone?

The lights come back on and Kyungsoo still doesn't have any answers, both about what was the movie really trying to say, and about this, all of this. Feeling down, feeling sad, feeling off-kilter. Whatever this is. Sighing, he makes a beeline out of the cinema and into the cold night, trudging sullenly back to his apartment. Maybe he can find answers there.

 

 

 

 

 

He doesn't find answers when he gets to his apartment, but he _does_ find Baekhyun in the kitchen, making quite a ruckus. "Hey, you're home," The music major calls when Kyungsoo knocks loudly on the front door to signal his arrival. "Have you eaten? I'm making fried rice with whatever's in the freezer."

"What's with you, being home early on a weekday?" He asks as he pads towards the kitchen, accepting the high-five Baekhyun offers him as he goes to get a glass of water. "And cooking, no less."

"I could say the same thing to you, too. What's with the long face?" Baekhyun shoots back, nudging him with his hip as he drains his glass. "Didn't like the movie?"

"Yeah, kind of. It wasn't my cup of tea," Kyungsoo sighs, moving to set the table. "And, I don't know. I just feel...off tonight. Is that a thing?"

"Yeah, of course. Maybe you're just depressed because of the cold," Baekhyun shrugs, dumping a bowl of cooked shrimp into the pan. "You should've gotten ice cream with Junmyeon first before going home, though."

"I wasn't with Junmyeon," He corrects, smoothing down the placemats. "He's sick. I made him stay at home rather than go with me."

"Ah," The latter says, realization dawning on his face. "So that's why."

"That's why what?" Kyungsoo asks as he lays down the cutlery. Why does Baekhyun get these epiphanies and he doesn't? Unfair. He wants answers, too.

"That's why you're feeling down. You miss Junmyeon, don't you?" Baekhyun grins at him, abandoning his cooking to pinch his cheeks. "Ah, our Soo is in love! What a day to be alive."

"Get off," He grumbles, batting his hands away. "I don't miss him. That's silly."

" _You're_ silly," Baekhyun chuckles. "Kyungsoo, face it. You like him. You miss him. Wednesdays are just not the same without him."

"I don't—" Kyungsoo protests, but unfortunately, Baekhyun is right. He _does_ miss having Junmyeon around. That explains why he felt so off today—he's missing an integral piece of his day. A certain small, fair-skinned, black-haired piece of his day with apple cheeks that blush easily in the cold and warm, gentle eyes that crinkles when he smiles. And okay, maybe recently it was getting harder and harder not to stare at Junmyeon, who looks so angelic under the soft winter moonlight. And fine, maybe his heart quickens a little more than usual whenever Junmyeon wraps an arm around him, spouting nonsense about body heat and winters that he barely hears over his thundering pulse. And sure, maybe he looks forward to spending time with Junmyeon, even if it was just hanging out in the in-campus café in comfortable silence, their legs tangled in the small space underneath the table as they sip on their warm drinks and share a scone. Alrigt, so maybe he does like Junmyeon a little bit. He sighs and relents, rubbing a hand across his face. "Yeah. I do."

"About damn time you got around your feelings," Baekhyun snorts, clapping him on the shoulder. "I swear, we were all dying to know when you guys will officially get together. You guys go on dates regularly, I'm not even sure how you managed to bottle it up until now."

"Hey, we weren't going on _dates_ ," Kyungsoo frowns. "We were just hanging out."

"Yeah, that's what he said," The music major rolls his eyes, moving to turn off the burners. "Soo, he picks you up, takes you out to the movies and dinner afterwards, then drives you home. Regularly. And that's just Wednesdays. There's your regular food crawl Fridays, your jogging and vegan brunch Saturdays, and all the countless times you went out together."

"So?" Kyungsoo makes grabby hands for one of the bowls, suddenly ravenous. "Just because we hang out doesn't mean that they're dates."

"They're dates because Junmyeon likes you too, idiot," Baekhyun says, handing him a rice bowl. "He's been trying to woo you all this time."

"What do you mean all this time?" He echoes, stuffing a spoonful into his mouth.

"Why do you think he went with you to watch Mockingjay? He knows about your old Wednesday routine, and he _hates_ that series," Baekhyun points out, taking a seat in front of him. "Why do you think he takes the time to watch a film and go to dinner with you every week? It's because he has this stupidly cute crush on you, and Jongdae got tired of his lovestruck musings so he told him to go accompany you."

It takes all of Kyungsoo's composure not to spit out his rice in surprise. "He _what_?"

"Jongdae? Yeah, it's true. You know how Jongdae is—go big or go home. I guess you owe him your love life," The music major chuckles. "As for Junmyeon, also true. He has liked you for a long time, you know. You're just annoyingly dense."

"Well, I'm sorry! It's not like he's outright with his feelings or anything," He complains.

"He takes you out on a date like, thrice a week _minimum_ , and it's still his fault?" Baekhyun quips, kicking him on the shin. "Look, man, I think you should make a move this time. Ask him out or something."

"And why, pray tell, would I do that?" Kyungsoo frowns. "I'm fine. We're fine."

"Because seemingly unrequited pining is not cute, and you guys are so perfect together it's disgusting," Baekhyun says around a mouthful of fried rice. "But we can't just leave everything to fate, you know? Gotta work hard for that happy ending, too."

"You don't make sense," Kyungsoo says flatly, going back to his dinner.

"Nothing, my dear Kyungsoo, makes sense when you're in love." Baekhyun beams at him, reaching over to pat his hand in what he thinks is a wise manner. But with his cheeks bulging with rice, his snapback backwards on top of his head, and his wire-rimmed glasses slipping down his nose, he just looks silly.

 

 

 

 

 

Silly as he may be, Baekhyun is right. He just can't leave everything up to the universe—they'll probably just dance around each other until they're old and wrinkly. But how, exactly, does he take matters into his own hands without ruining things? How do you ask someone out after months of dating?

"Hey," Junmyeon snaps his fingers in front of his face, jolting him out of his musings. Right, he's with Junmyeon—the other boy has recovered from his flu after a harrowing three days, and they're back to their favorite ice cream parlor, talking about their week over sundaes on a sunny Saturday. Well, Junmyeon talks; he thinks and tries not to stare. "You seem preoccupied there. What are you thinking about?

And maybe it's the ice cream, or the fact that they're eating ice cream in single-digit weather, or the fact that Junmyeon just really, really looks good in his emerald green sweater today, and the afternoon light from the window falls on him in just the right way that makes him look ethereal, but whatever it is, it turns off Kyungsoo's brain to mouth filter and he blurts out, "Do you want to go watch Civil War with me?"

"What, like right now?" Junmyeon replies, seemingly unfazed with his non-sequitur reply. "Sure, but it's not a Wednesday, though."

"Yeah, I know." He says. _It's now or never._ "But I want to spend time with you."

"Okay..?" Junmyeon chuckles. "You're acting weird. What's with you? Did you miss me that much last Wednesday?"

"Yes," Kyungsoo answers simply, biting back a smile when Junmyeon freezes at his reply. "It wasn't as fun without you."

"Really," The latter says, a soft pink slowly creeping up his neck. _Cute._ "Being sick wasn't fun either, but I guess you had the shorter end of the stick."

"Yeah, my Wednesday sucked," He shrugs. "I had to walk home in the cold, my nachos were stale, and you were right about the annoying teenagers. And when I got home, Baekhyun told me how we have been dating for months now."

Junmyeon chokes on his ice cream, and Kyungsoo bursts out laughing.

"Honestly, Junmyeon," He says, grinning, "Why wasn't I informed that we're dating? I just installed Tinder like, two weeks ago. What if I matched with someone? What do I say?"

"I—we—I mean—they weren't _dates_ , per se," Junmyeon stutters nervously. "I—they were, I suppose, but I—I just haven't asked you out yet. But I was planning to. Soon."

"And how soon is soon, exactly?" Kyungsoo asks amusedly.

"Um, yeah, about that," Junmyeon trails off, the pink now reaching his cheeks. "I was actually going to take you out to watch Civil War tonight, but you kind of sprung it on me before I could, so..."

Oh. He managed to singlehandedly ruin what is probably a meticulously prepared confession with an ill-timed sort of Freudian slip. Somehow, it makes him laugh even harder. "Oh my god, I'm sorry," He says in between laughs. "I ruined your plans, didn't I?"

"Kind of," Junmyeon mumbles, looking put out. He's so endearing.

"Alright, let's pretend I didn't ask you to go watch it with me," Kyungsoo chuckles, reaching over to hold Junmyeon's hand. It's soft and clammy, and he runs his thumb over his knuckles reassuringly. "Go on, ask me out. I'll pretend to be shocked for you."

"You're incorrigible," Junmyeon groans, kicking him on the shin, and Kyungsoo just laughs again. "And here I was, about to take you out for Spanish food afterwards because you told me you were craving paella. Guess tapas is not going to happen."

"Noooo, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," He whines, squeezing Junmyeon's hand in apology. "I'd love to go out on a date with you even if you didn't get to ask me because I asked first. Please take me out for paella."

"Are you asking me out, or are you asking me to ask you out?" The latter shakes his head, checking his watch. He's still holding Kyungsoo's hand; the warmth is welcome in the cold shop. "If we leave now, we can catch the half-past five showing. That good?"

"As long as we get Spanish after," Kyungsoo says earnestly, and Junmyeon rolls his eyes at him as he leaves a few bills on the table. "I like you more than paella on a normal day, I swear."

"Good to know I rank slightly above rice," Junmyeon says wryly as they make their way out of the shop and towards his car, Kyungsoo swinging their still interlocked hands between them. "I mean, I love a good cheesecake, but you're not so bad yourself."

Kyungsoo punches him on the shoulder, earning him a musical laugh that makes everything seem a little brighter. And while their romance didn't quite start like those in the movies that they both loved so much, perhaps they didn't need serendipity to make them meet or job placements to unite them. Perhaps their own story won't even be as dramatic, or as grandiose. Perhaps it's just as simple as two people becoming one, two adventurers who choose to journey to the indefinite future together. But if that means having Junmyeon by his side at all times, a warm hand constantly holding his through everything, then maybe Kyungsoo doesn't need his fairy tale romance after all. He's fine with this: simple afternoon walks with his prince, the boy who helped him see things in a fresher perspective, made him change his routine, and most importantly, taught him how to take a leap of faith and chase after his happiness.

And that, in his book, is a happy ending indeed.

 

 

 

 

("So what team are you on? Team Cap or Team Iron Man?"

"Does it matter, Soo?"

"Of course it does. I'm on Team Iron Man myself."

"Well, I'm on your team."

" _Oh my god_ , Junmyeon.")


End file.
